Appetizer | Alaskan Harvest Seafood Blog

Purple Belgian Endive and Crab Salad

This salad makes a great appetizer for dinner parties or holiday meals. The flavors are bright and tangy, and it’s both quick to make and very beautiful. Be sure to use Belgian endive leaves that have a lot of magenta to them for the strongest visual effect. I have adapted this recipe somewhat; the original comes from a thoughtful cookbook on healthy eating in which all of the dishes are organized according to color. This was listed under the “Autumn” section of “Purple and blue,” along with recipes involving purple cabbage, capsicum, figs, grapes, currants, and eggplant. This serves four.

You will need:

2 heads purple-tipped Belgian endive, leaves removed and rinsed
4 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 lb. fresh or thawed lump crabmeat
1 T minced fresh tarragon
2 T olive oil
1 T mayonnaise
2 tsp chopped capers
Tabasco sauce
Worcestershire sauce
1 T lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Chill four salad plates. Arrange three or four endive leaves on each plate. Coarsely chop the rest of the leaves and toss them into loose beds atop the arrangements.

2. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and season to taste – 2 or more healthy shakes of Tabasco, and a single shake of Worcestershire ought to be enough. Some measure hot sauce by the drop; I like to overdo it. Only mix until well combined – too much handling can make the crabmeat mushy.

3. Divide the crab mixture equally between the plates and mound it up on the piles of endive. Crack some more pepper over the top, or sprinkle with paprika and more lemon juice.

Serve immediately. This pairs well with hot crusty bread and olive oil for dipping, and with minerally white wines, such as some Pinot Grigios. Follow up with warmer fare, like soup with dumplings or mushroom ragout and polenta.

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Halibut Ceviche

Filed under: Halibut Recipes, News, Seafood Recipes — Tags: Alaskan Seafood, appetizer, ceviche, fish, Halibut, Halibut Recipe, Mexican, Peruvian, recipe, salad, Seafood, seafood recipe —

Ceviche is a light and delicious way to prepare seafood. Don’t confuse Peruvian ceviche with Japanese sushi - even though no heat is used in the preparation, the acids in the citrus perform the same function and, in effect, “cook” the fish. Ceviche is very, very simple; the basic version is outlined here, along with several suggestions for add-ins. Serve it as a salad, or as a colorful and dramatic cold entree.

You will need:

1 lb. fresh halibut, cut into ½ inch cubes
11/2 c fresh lime juice
1 medium onion
olive oil
sugar (fruit juices can be substituted)
salt and pepper to taste

Recommended additions:

chopped cilantro
minced green chilies
diced tomatoes
a splash of orange juice
sliced mangos
green olives
capers
sliced red onions
cubed avocado*
hot sauces, such as sriracha, harissa, or tabasco

1. In a large bowl, mix together the halibut, lime juice, and onion. Fold it gently with your hand, making sure the fish is completely coated.

2. Let it sit for 4 hours; break apart a fish cube to test - when the fish is opaque all the way through, it is done.

3. Drain the brine off the fish, and add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Orange juice or other fruit juices make flavorful sugar substitutes, and will offset the sour lime just as well.

4. 2 hours before you intend to serve it, add your extra ingredients and let the flavors mingle. Tomatoes, onion, avocado, and olives are a popular combination, as are mangoes, onion, skinless orange slices, and hot sauce. Cilantro goes well with both sweet and savory versions. Try adding other spices, such as cumin with olives, or cinnamon with fruitier versions.

*If you use avocado, wait until just before serving to add it in, as it can become mushy or dark while the other ingredients marinate.

Serve with fresh corn chips or small, hot tortillas.

Thanks to Max Rose for the great photo.

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Homemade Gravlax

Filed under: News, Salmon Recipes, Seafood Recipes — Tags: Alaskan Salmon, appetizer, gravlax, Salmon, salmon recipe, Scandinavia, Seafood —

Although salmon has been preserved in a variety of ways across cultures - smoking, drying, and curing the most common methods - gravlax’s distinctive flavor owes its origins to Scandinavia. The name comes from the old Swedish gravad, or “buried,” and lax, “salmon.” As early as the 14th century, Scandinavians were preserving salmon by burying it in the cold ground, packed in pine needles; this technique led to fermentation and a year-long shelf life. Modern versions substitute dill for pine needles, and produce a much more pleasantly aromatic and delicately flavored fish, (no burying necessary!)

Despite its esoteric-sounding origins, contemporary gravlax is simple to make if you plan ahead, and can be an elegant addition to an array of appetizers, or serve as a light and protein-rich side dish.

You will need:

2 lb. center-cut salmon filet (skin-on)
2 tsp white peppercorns
1 T fennel seeds
1 T caraway seeds
2/3 c kosher salt
1/3 c sugar
1/2 bunch plus 1 c fresh dill
*1/4 c aquavit (optional)

1. Coarsely grind the peppercorns, fennels, and caraway seeds. A food processor works well; I have a spare electric coffee grinder that I reserve for grinding spices, which is just as good.

2. Stir the spices together with the sugar and salt.

3. Cover a dinner plate with plastic wrap, and pour half of the salt mixture onto the plate, spreading it out evenly with your hand.

4. Place the salmon onto the salt, skin side down. Cover the flesh with the remaining salt, followed by a bunch of fresh dill sprigs (they don’t need to be chopped). Pour the aquavit over the top (optional).

5. Fold the plastic wrap up around the salmon. Wrap it tightly with another piece of plastic wrap, and store it on the plate in the refrigerator for 48 - 72 hours. Turn the package over every 12 hours, taking care to open it and pat the resulting brine evenly around the fish.

6. You’ll know it’s fully cured when the flesh is very firm at its thickest point.

7. Once the fish is finished curing, unwrap it and discard the brine and dill. Rinse the fish well under cold water, and pat it dry.

8. Very finely chop ½ bunch dill. Spread the minced dill evenly over the surface of a plate. Place the gravlax skin side down onto the dill and press, so that the dill clings to the fish.

9. Turn the gravlax over onto a cutting surface and slice it very thinly against the grain, at a diagonal.

Serve it with mustard-dill sauce, or on dark bread or Swedish knaekebrod, with minced onion. Other popular additions are capers, creme fraiche, or spicy stoneground mustard.

Store the gravlax tightly wrapped in plastic, in the refrigerator, for up to two weeks.

Many people like to experiment with the flavors of gravlax. Some suggestions for add-ins to the brining salts include: citrus zest, cumin, anise, and even coffee grounds; the addition of different alcohols or liqueurs, such as tequila or flavored vodkas, can also provide interesting, less traditional results.

This recipe appears in its original form in Saveur magazine, July, 2008.

Photo by Charles Haynes, via Creative Commons.

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